VERENIUM CORPORATION REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

EX-4.5 4 d444805dex45.htm EXHIBIT 4.5 Exhibit 4.5

Exhibit 4.5

VERENIUM CORPORATION

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into as of the 7th day of December, 2012, by and among Verenium Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), Athyrium Opportunities Fund (A) LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“Athyrium A Fund”), and Athyrium Opportunities Fund (B) LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“Athyrium B Fund”, and together with Athyrium A Fund and their permitted successors and permitted assigns, the “Lenders”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, reference is made to that certain Credit Agreement dated as of the date hereof by and among the Company, the Guarantors (as defined therein), Athyrium A Fund and the Lenders (as defined therein) (the “Credit Agreement”);

WHEREAS, the obligations in the Credit Agreement are conditioned upon the execution and delivery of this Agreement; and

WHEREAS, in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Credit Agreement, the parties desire to enter into this Agreement in order to grant the registration rights as set forth below.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of these premises and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

SECTION 1. GENERAL.

1.1 Definitions. As used in this Agreement the following terms shall have the following respective meanings:

(a) Common Stock” means shares of common stock, $0.001 par value, of the Company and any other common equity securities issued by the Company, and any other shares of stock issued or issuable with respect thereto (whether by way of a stock dividend or stock split or in exchange for or upon conversion of such shares or otherwise in connection with a combination of shares, distribution, recapitalization, merger, consolidation or other corporate reorganization).

(b) Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder.

(c) Form S-3” means such form under the Securities Act as in effect on the date hereof or any successor or similar registration form under the Securities Act subsequently

 

1.


adopted by the SEC which permits inclusion or incorporation of substantial information by reference to other documents filed by the Company with the SEC.

(d) Holder” means any person owning of record Registrable Securities or any assignee of record of such Registrable Securities in accordance with Section 2.8 hereof.

(e) Permitted Transferee” means, with respect to any Holder (A) that is a partnership, a transferee that is a partner or former partner of such Holder and when receives a transfer of Registrable Securities in accordance with its partnership interests, (B) that is a corporation, a transferee that is a wholly-owned subsidiary or a parent corporation that owns all of the capital stock of such Holder, (C) that is a limited liability company, a transferee that is a member or former member of such Holder and when receives a transfer of Registrable Securities in accordance with its interest in the limited liability company, or (D) that is an individual, a transferee that is a family member of such Holder or trust for the benefit of such Holder.

(f)Register,” “registered,” and “registration” refer to a registration effected by preparing and filing a registration statement in compliance with the Securities Act, and the declaration or ordering of effectiveness of such registration statement.

(g)Registrable Securities” means (a) Common Stock of the Company issuable or issued upon the conversion or exercise of the Warrants and (b) any Common Stock of the Company issued as (or issuable upon the conversion or exercise of any warrant, right or other security which is issued as) a dividend or other distribution with respect to, or in exchange for or in replacement of, such above-described securities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Registrable Securities shall not include any shares of Common Stock (i) that were acquired pursuant to the exercise of a Warrant and that can be sold pursuant to Rule 144 during any ninety (90) day period, (ii) that have previously been registered with the SEC, (iii) that were sold by a person to the public either pursuant to a registration statement or Rule 144 or (iv) that were sold in a private transaction in which the transferor’s rights under Section 2 of this Agreement are not assigned.

(h) Registration Expenses” shall mean all expenses (other than Selling Expenses) incurred by the Company in complying with its obligations pursuant to this Agreement and in connection with the registration and disposition of Registrable Securities, including, without limitation, (i) all registration and filing fees with respect to filings required to be made with the SEC or the listing exchange on which the Common Stock is traded, (ii) underwriting expenses, (iii) fees and expenses of complying with state securities and “blue sky” laws, (iv) printing expenses (including, without limitation, expenses of printing certificates for Registrable Securities and of printing prospectuses requested by the Holders), (v) fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company, (vi) fees and disbursements of counsel for the Holders in an amount not to exceed fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) for each registration statement filed pursuant to this Agreement that includes Registrable Securities, (vii) fees and expenses of all other persons or entities retained by the Company in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (viii) the expense of any regular or special audits incident to or required by any such registration, and (ix) all of the Company’s internal expenses incurred in connection with the consummation of the transactions

 

2.


contemplated by this Agreement (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties).

(i) SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

(j) Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder.

(k)Selling Expenses” shall mean all underwriting discounts and selling commissions applicable to the sale of Registrable Securities.

(l)Special Registration Statement” shall mean (i) a registration statement relating to any employee benefit plan, (ii) with respect to any corporate reorganization or transaction under Rule 145 of the Securities Act, any registration statements related to the issuance or resale of securities issued in such a transaction, (iii) a shelf registration statement, or (iv) a registration statement related to securities issued or issuable in connection with any (A) private placement transaction (including any PIPE) covering 10% or more of the Company’s then-outstanding Common Stock or (B) Rule 144A securities offering, including, in each case, any registration related to stock issued upon exercise of debt securities or preferred stock or upon exercise of warrants included in any such offering.

(m) Warrants” shall mean those certain warrants to purchase the Company’s Common Stock, dated as of the date hereof, issued to Athyrium A Fund and Athyrium B Fund (or their permitted transferees, successors and permitted assigns) pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement.

(n) Warrant Shares” shall mean the shares of the Company’s Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.

SECTION 2. REGISTRATION; RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER.

2.1 Restrictions on Transfer.

(a) Each Holder agrees not to make any disposition of all or any portion of the Warrant Shares unless:

(i) such disposition is made in accordance with the Warrant; and

(ii) The transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the terms of this Agreement.

(b) Each certificate representing Warrant Shares or Registrable Securities shall be stamped or otherwise imprinted with legends substantially similar to the following (in addition to any legend required under applicable state securities laws):

THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 (THE “ACT”) AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR

 

3.


OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED, ASSIGNED, PLEDGED OR HYPOTHECATED UNLESS AND UNTIL REGISTERED UNDER THE ACT OR THE COMPANY HAS RECEIVED AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY AND ITS COUNSEL THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED OR SUCH SECURITIES ARE OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THAT CERTAIN REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN THE HOLDER AND THE COMPANY.

THE SALE, PLEDGE, HYPOTHECATION OR TRANSFER OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE IS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THAT CERTAIN REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN THE HOLDER AND THE COMPANY. COPIES OF SUCH AGREEMENT MAY BE OBTAINED UPON WRITTEN REQUEST TO THE SECRETARY OF THE COMPANY.

(c) The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that the provisions of Section 7(c)(ii) of the Warrants shall govern the removal of the first legend listed above. The second legend listed above shall be removed only at such time as the Holder of such certificate is no longer subject to any restrictions hereunder.

(d) Any legend endorsed on an instrument pursuant to applicable state securities laws and the stop-transfer instructions with respect to such securities shall be removed upon receipt by the Company of an order of the appropriate blue sky authority authorizing such removal.

2.2 Demand Registration.

(a) Subject to the conditions of this Section 2.2, if the Company shall receive a written request from Holders of at least thirty percent (30%) of the Registrable Securities issued or issuable as of the date of such request (the “Initiating Holders”) that the Company file a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the registration of Registrable Securities, then the Company shall, within thirty (30) days of the receipt thereof, give written notice of such request to all Holders, and subject to the limitations of this Section 2.2, use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement (including all Registrable Securities that all Holders request to be registered) to become effective within 120 days from the date of such request from the Initiating Holders. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 2.2, to the extent the staff of the SEC requires that the number of Registrable Securities registered be reduced, in each applicable instance the Company shall reduce the number of Registrable Securities so registered on such registration statement, on a pro rata basis based on the number of Registrable Securities held by all such Holders (including the Initiating Holders) desiring to include Registrable Securities in the applicable registration statement, to one-third (1/3) of the Company’s non-affiliate public float. For any Holder which is a partnership, limited liability company or corporation, the partners, retired partners, members, retired members and stockholders of such Holder, or the estates and family members of any such partners, retired

 

4.


partners, members and retired members and any trusts for the benefit of any of the foregoing persons shall be deemed to be a single “Holder,” and any pro rata reduction with respect to such “Holder” shall be based upon the aggregate amount of shares carrying registration rights owned by all entities and individuals included in such “Holder,” as defined in this sentence.

(b) If the Initiating Holders intend to distribute the Registrable Securities covered by their request by means of an underwriting, they shall so advise the Company as a part of their request made pursuant to this Section 2.2 and the Company shall include such information in the written notice referred to in Section 2.2(a). In such event, the right of any Holder to include its Registrable Securities in such registration shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such underwriting and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in the underwriting to the extent provided herein. All Holders proposing to distribute their securities through such underwriting shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the underwriter or underwriters selected for such underwriting by the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities held by all Initiating Holders (which underwriter or underwriters shall be reasonably acceptable to the Company). Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 2.2, if the underwriter advises the Company that marketing factors require a limitation of the number of securities to be underwritten (including Registrable Securities) then the Company shall so advise all Holders of Registrable Securities that would otherwise be underwritten pursuant hereto, and the number of shares that may be included in the underwriting shall be allocated to the Holders of such Registrable Securities on a pro rata basis based on the number of Registrable Securities held by all such Holders (including the Initiating Holders). Any Registrable Securities excluded or withdrawn from such underwriting shall be withdrawn from the registration.

(c) The Company shall not be required to effect a registration pursuant to this Section 2.2:

(i) during the period starting with the date of filing of, and ending on the date ninety (90) days following the effective date of the registration statement pertaining to a public offering, other than pursuant to a Special Registration Statement; provided that the Company makes reasonable good faith efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective;

(ii) if within thirty (30) days of receipt of a written request from Initiating Holders pursuant to Section 2.2(a), the Company gives notice to the Holders of the Company’s intention to file a registration statement for a public offering, other than pursuant to a Special Registration Statement, within ninety (90) days;

(iii) if the Company furnishes to Holders requesting a registration statement pursuant to this Section 2.2 a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board stating that in the good faith and reasonable judgment of the Board of Directors of the Company, it would be seriously detrimental to the Company and its shareholders for such registration statement to be effected at such time, in which event the Company shall have the right to defer such filing for a period of not more than 90 days after the receipt of the request of the Initiating Holders; provided that such right to delay a request shall be exercised by the Company not more than once in any 12 month period; or

 

5.


(iv) after the Company has effected three registrations pursuant to this Section 2.2, and such registrations have been declared or ordered effective.

(d) In the event that Form S-3 is not available for the registration of Registrable Securities hereunder, the Company shall (i) register the Registrable Securities on a form reasonably acceptable to the Initiating Holders and (ii) undertake to register any Registrable Securities registered on an alternative form pursuant to clause (i) above on a Form S-3 as soon as the use of such form for such purpose is permitted, provided that the Company shall maintain the effectiveness of the registration statement then in effect until such time as a registration statement on Form S-3 covering the Registrable Securities has been declared effective by the SEC.

2.3 Piggyback Registrations. So long as any Lender holds Registrable Securities, the Company shall notify all Holders of Registrable Securities in writing at least fifteen (15) days prior to the filing of any registration statement under the Securities Act for purposes of a public offering of securities of the Company (including, but not limited to, registration statements relating to secondary offerings of securities of the Company, but excluding Special Registration Statements) and will afford each such Holder an opportunity to include in such registration statement all or part of such Registrable Securities held by such Holder. Each Holder desiring to include in any such registration statement all or any part of the Registrable Securities held by it shall, within fifteen (15) days after the above-described notice from the Company, so notify the Company in writing. Such notice shall state the intended method of disposition of the Registrable Securities by such Holder. If a Holder decides not to include all of its Registrable Securities in any registration statement thereafter filed by the Company, such Holder shall nevertheless continue to have the right to include any Registrable Securities in any subsequent registration statement or registration statements as may be filed by the Company with respect to offerings of its securities, all upon the terms and conditions set forth herein.

(a) Underwriting. If the registration statement of which the Company gives notice under this Section 2.3 is for an underwritten offering, the Company shall so advise the Holders of Registrable Securities. In such event, the right of any such Holder to include Registrable Securities in a registration pursuant to this Section 2.3 shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such underwriting and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in the underwriting to the extent provided herein. All Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through such underwriting shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the underwriter or underwriters selected for such underwriting by the Company. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if the Company determines in good faith, based on consultation with the underwriter, that marketing factors require a limitation of the number of shares to be underwritten, the number of shares that may be included in the underwriting shall be allocated, first, to the Company; second, to the Holders participating in the underwriting on a pro rata basis based on the total number of Registrable Securities held by the Holders; and third, to any stockholder of the Company (other than a Holder) on a pro rata basis. If any Holder disapproves of the terms of any such underwriting, such Holder may elect to withdraw therefrom by written notice to the Company and the underwriter, delivered at least ten (10) business days prior to the effective date of the registration statement. Any Registrable Securities excluded or withdrawn from such underwriting shall be excluded and withdrawn from the registration. For any Holder which is a partnership, limited liability company or corporation,

 

6.


the partners, retired partners, members, retired members and stockholders of such Holder, or the estates and family members of any such partners, retired partners, members and retired members and any trusts for the benefit of any of the foregoing persons shall be deemed to be a single “Holder,” and any pro rata reduction with respect to such “Holder” shall be based upon the aggregate amount of shares carrying registration rights owned by all entities and individuals included in such “Holder,” as defined in this sentence.

(b) Right to Terminate Registration. The Company shall have the right to terminate or withdraw any registration initiated by it under this Section 2.3 prior to the effectiveness of such registration whether or not any Holder has elected to include securities in such registration, and shall promptly notify any Holder that has elected to include shares in such registration of such termination or withdrawal. The Registration Expenses of such withdrawn registration shall be borne by the Company in accordance with Section 2.4 hereof.

2.4 Expenses of Registration. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, all Registration Expenses incurred in connection with any registration, qualification or compliance pursuant to Section 2.2 or 2.3 herein shall be borne by the Company. All Selling Expenses incurred in connection with any registrations hereunder, shall be borne by the holders of the securities so registered pro rata on the basis of the number of shares so registered. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay for expenses of any registration proceeding begun pursuant to Section 2.2, the request of which has been subsequently withdrawn by the Initiating Holders unless (a) the withdrawal is based upon material adverse information concerning the Company of which the Initiating Holders were not aware at the time of such request or (b) at least a majority of the Initiating Holders that requested such registration statement be filed agree to deem such registration to have been effected as of the date of such withdrawal for purposes of determining whether the Company shall be obligated pursuant to Section 2.2(c)(iv) to undertake any subsequent registration, in which event such right shall be forfeited by all Holders. If the Holders are expressly required to pay any Registration Expenses under the terms of this Agreement, such Registration Expenses shall be borne by the Holders of Registrable Securities requesting such registration in proportion to the number of shares for which registration was requested. If the Company is required to pay the Registration Expenses of a withdrawn offering pursuant to clause (a) above, then such registration shall not be deemed to have been effected for purposes of determining whether the Company shall be obligated pursuant to Sections 2.2(c)(iv) to undertake any subsequent registration.

2.5 Obligations of the Company. Whenever required to effect the registration of any Registrable Securities, the Company shall, as expeditiously as reasonably possible:

(a) prepare and file with the SEC a registration statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use all commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective, and, upon the request of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities registered thereunder, keep such registration statement effective for up to one hundred and twenty (120) days or, if earlier, until the Holder or Holders have completed the distribution related thereto; provided, however, that at any time, upon written notice to the participating Holders and for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days thereafter (the “Suspension Period”), the Company may delay the filing or effectiveness of any registration statement or suspend the use or effectiveness of any registration statement (and the Holders hereby agree not

 

7.


to offer or sell any Registrable Securities pursuant to such registration statement during the Suspension Period) if the Company reasonably believes that there is or may be in existence material nonpublic information or events involving the Company not included in the prospectus included in the registration statement (including in any related free writing prospectus), the failure of which to be disclosed in the prospectus included in the registration statement (or in any related free writing prospectus) could result in a Violation (as defined below). In the event that the Company shall exercise its right to delay or suspend the filing or effectiveness of a registration hereunder, the applicable time period during which the registration statement is to remain effective shall be extended by a period of time equal to the duration of the Suspension Period. If so directed by the Company, all Holders registering shares under such registration statement shall (i) not offer to sell any Registrable Securities pursuant to the registration statement during the period in which the delay or suspension is in effect after receiving notice of such delay or suspension; and (ii) use their commercially reasonable efforts to deliver to the Company (at the Company’s expense) all copies, other than permanent file copies then in such Holders’ possession, of the prospectus relating to such Registrable Securities current at the time of receipt of such notice. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to file, cause to become effective or maintain the effectiveness of any registration statement other than a registration statement that contemplates a distribution of securities on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act.

(b) prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and supplements to such registration statement and the prospectus used in connection with such registration statement as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all securities covered by such registration statement for the period set forth in subsection (a) above;

(c) furnish to the Holders such number of copies of a prospectus, including a preliminary prospectus, in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act, and such other documents as they may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of Registrable Securities owned by them;

(d) use its commercially reasonable efforts to register and qualify the securities covered by such registration statement under such other securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as shall be reasonably requested by the Holders; provided that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith or as a condition thereto to qualify to do business or to file a general consent to service of process in any such states or jurisdictions;

(e) in the event of any underwritten public offering, enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, with the managing underwriter(s) of such offering, and each Holder participating in such underwriting shall also enter into and perform its obligations under such an agreement;

(f) notify each Holder of Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement at any time when a prospectus relating thereto is required to be delivered under the Securities Act of the happening of any event as a result of which the prospectus included in such registration statement, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein

 

8.


not misleading in the light of the circumstances then existing, in which case the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to amend or supplement promptly such prospectus in order to cause such prospectus not to include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances then existing; and

(g) use its commercially reasonable efforts to furnish, on the date that such Registrable Securities are delivered to the underwriters for sale, if such securities are being sold through underwriters, (i) an opinion, dated as of such date, of the counsel representing the Company for the purposes of such registration, in form and substance as is customarily given to underwriters in an underwritten public offering, addressed to the underwriters, if any, and (ii) a letter, dated as of such date, from the independent certified public accountants of the Company, in form and substance as is customarily given by independent certified public accountants to underwriters in an underwritten public offering addressed to the underwriters.

2.6 Delay of Registration; Furnishing Information.

(a) No Holder shall have any right to obtain or seek an injunction restraining or otherwise delaying any such registration as the result of any controversy that might arise with respect to the interpretation or implementation of this Section 2.

(b) It shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of the Company to take any action pursuant to Section 2.2 or 2.3 that the selling Holders shall furnish to the Company such information regarding themselves, the Registrable Securities held by them and the intended method of disposition of such securities as shall be required to effect the registration of their Registrable Securities.

(c) Each selling Holder covenants and agrees that it will comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act as applicable to it or an exemption therefrom in connection with sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to a registration statement filed hereunder.

2.7 Indemnification. In the event any Registrable Securities are included in a registration statement under Sections 2.2 or 2.3:

(a) To the extent permitted by law, the Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, the partners, members, managers, officers, directors, stockholders and affiliates of each Holder, any underwriter (as defined in the Securities Act), broker or other person acting on behalf of such Holder and each person, if any, who controls any of the foregoing persons within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act (collectively, “Holder Indemnitees”), against any and all losses, claims, actions, damages, liabilities and expenses (joint or several) to which any Holder Indemnitee may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state law, insofar as such losses, claims, actions, damages, liabilities and expenses (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any of the following statements, omissions or violations (collectively a “Violation”) by the Company: (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in such registration statement or incorporated reference therein, including any preliminary

 

9.


prospectus or final prospectus contained therein or any amendments or supplements thereto, (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or (iii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any state securities law or any rule or regulation promulgated under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any state securities law in connection with the offering covered by such registration statement; and the Company will reimburse each Holder Indemnitee for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by any of them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 2.7(a) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action if such settlement is effected without the consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, nor shall the Company be liable in any such case for any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action to the extent that it arises out of or is based upon a Violation which occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished expressly for use in connection with such registration by such Holder, partner, member, officer, director, underwriter or controlling person of such Holder.

(b) To the extent permitted by law, each Holder will, if Registrable Securities held by such Holder are included in the securities as to which such registration qualifications or compliance is being effected, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, its officers, its stockholders and its affiliates and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act, any underwriter and any other Holder selling securities under such registration statement or any of such other Holder’s partners, members, managers, officers, directors, stockholders and affiliates or any person who controls such Holder, against any losses, claims, actions, damages or liabilities (joint or several) to which the Company or any such director, officer, stockholder, affiliate, controlling person, underwriter or other such Holder, or partner, member, manager, officer, director, stockholder, affiliate or controlling person of such other Holder, may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state law, but solely to the extent that such losses, claims, actions, damages or liabilities arise out of or are based upon any of the following statements: (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in such registration statement or incorporated reference therein, including any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained therein or any amendments or supplements thereto, (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein, or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or (iii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the Securities Act (collectively, a “Holder Violation”), in each case to the extent (and only to the extent) that such Holder Violation occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished by such Holder under an instrument duly executed by such Holder and stated to be specifically for use in connection with such registration; and each such Holder will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company or any such director, officer, stockholder, affiliate, controlling person, underwriter or other Holder, or partner, member, manager, officer, director, stockholder, affiliate or controlling person of such other Holder in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action if it is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction that there was such a Holder Violation; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 2.7(b) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action if such settlement is effected without the consent of the indemnifying Holder, which consent shall not be unreasonably

 

10.


withheld; provided further, that the obligation to indemnify under this Section 2.7 shall be several, not joint and several, for each Holder and in no event shall any indemnity under this Section 2.7 exceed the net proceeds (after underwriting fees, commissions or discounts) actually received by such Holder from the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such registration statement.

(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 2.7 of notice of the commencement of any action (including any governmental action), such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under this Section 2.7, deliver to the indemnifying party a written notice of the commencement thereof and the indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in, and, to the extent the indemnifying party so desires, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly noticed, to assume the defense thereof with counsel mutually satisfactory to the parties; provided, however, that an indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, with the fees and expenses thereof to be paid by the indemnifying party, if such indemnified party reasonably concludes that representation of such indemnified party by the counsel retained by the indemnifying party would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such indemnified party and any other party represented by such counsel in such proceeding. The failure to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action shall relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the indemnified party under this Section 2.7 to the extent, and only to the extent, prejudicial to its ability to defend such action, but the omission so to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party will not relieve it of any liability that it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 2.7.

(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 2.7 is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unavailable to an indemnified party with respect to any loss, claim, damage, liability or action referred to herein, then the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall to the extent permitted by applicable law contribute to the amounts paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, claim, damage, liability or action in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party on the one hand and of the indemnified party on the other in connection with the Violation(s) or Holder Violation(s) that resulted in such loss, claim, damage liability or action, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations; provided, that the maximum amount of liability in respect of such contribution shall be limited, in the case of each Holder of Registrable Securities, to an amount equal to the net proceeds (after underwriting fees, commissions or discounts) actually received by such Holder from the sale of Registrable Securities effected pursuant to such registration. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and of the indemnified party shall be determined by a court of law by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the indemnifying party or by the indemnified party and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

(e) The obligations of the Company and Holders under this Section 2.7 shall survive completion of any offering of Registrable Securities in a registration statement and, with respect to liability arising from an offering to which this Section 2.7 would apply that is covered

 

11.


by a registration filed before termination of this Agreement, such termination. No indemnifying party, in the defense of any such claim or litigation, shall, except with the consent of each indemnified party, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement which does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation.

2.8 Assignment of Registration Rights. The rights under this Agreement shall be automatically assignable by the Holders to (A) any Permitted Transferee and (B) any transferee in connection with any assignment of at least five percent (5%) of the Registrable Securities issued or issuable as of the date of this Agreement if: (i) the assigning Holder agrees in writing with the transferee or assignee to assign such rights and a copy of such agreement is furnished to the Company within a reasonable time after such assignment; (ii) the Company is, within a reasonable time after such transfer or assignment, furnished with written notice of (a) the name and address of such transferee or assignee and (b) the securities with respect to which such registration rights are being transferred or assigned; and (iii) at or before the time the Company receives the written notice contemplated by clause (ii) of this sentence the transferee or assignee agrees in writing with the Company to be bound by all of the provisions contained in this Agreement.

2.9 Rule 144 Reporting. With a view to making available to the Holders the benefits of certain rules and regulations of the SEC which may permit the sale of the Registrable Securities to the public without registration, the Company agrees to use its best efforts to:

(a) make and keep public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in SEC Rule 144 or any similar or analogous rule promulgated under the Securities Act;

(b) file with the SEC, in a timely manner, all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Exchange Act; and

(c) so long as a Holder owns any Registrable Securities, furnish to such Holder forthwith upon request: a written statement by the Company as to its compliance with the reporting requirements of said Rule 144 of the Securities Act, and of the Exchange Act (at any time after it has become subject to such reporting requirements); a copy of the most recent annual or quarterly report of the Company filed with the SEC; and such other reports and documents as a Holder may reasonably request in connection with availing itself of any rule or regulation of the SEC allowing it to sell any such securities without registration.

(d) Rule 144A Information. The Company shall, upon request of any Holder, make available to such Holder the information required by Rule 144A (or any successor rule) under the Securities Act, if any.

SECTION 3. MISCELLANEOUS.

3.1 Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed under the laws of the State of New York in all respects as such laws are applied to agreements among New York residents entered into and to be performed entirely within New York, without reference to conflicts of laws or principles thereof. The parties agree that any action brought by either party

 

12.


under or in relation to this Agreement, including without limitation to interpret or enforce any provision of this Agreement, shall be brought in, and each party agrees to and does hereby submit to the jurisdiction and venue of, any state or federal court located in the State of New York.

3.2 Successors and Assigns. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, the provisions hereof shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon, the parties hereto and their respective successors, assigns, heirs, executors, and administrators and shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by each person who shall be a holder of Registrable Securities from time to time or became a holder of Registrable Securities in accordance with Section 2.8 from time to time; provided, however, that prior to the receipt by the Company of adequate written notice of the transfer of any Registrable Securities specifying the full name and address of the transferee, the Company may deem and treat the person listed as the holder of such shares in its records as the absolute owner and holder of such shares for all purposes.

3.3 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, the Warrants, the Credit Agreement and the other documents delivered pursuant thereto (the “Transaction Documents”) constitute the full and entire understanding and agreement among the parties thereto and hereto with regard to the subjects thereof and hereof and no party shall be liable or bound to any other in any manner by any oral or written representations, warranties, covenants and agreements except as specifically set forth herein and therein. Each party hereto expressly represents and warrants that it is not relying on any oral or written representations, warranties, covenants or agreements outside of the Transaction Documents.

3.4 Severability. In the event one or more of the provisions of this Agreement should, for any reason, be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions of this Agreement, and this Agreement shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein.

3.5 Amendment and Waiver. Except as otherwise expressly provided, this Agreement may be amended or modified, and the obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders under this Agreement may be waived, only upon the written consent of the Company and the holders of at least a majority of the then-outstanding Registrable Securities. Any amendment or waiver effected in accordance with this Section 3.5 shall be binding upon each Holder and the Company.

3.6 Delays or Omissions. It is agreed that no delay or omission to exercise any right, power, or remedy accruing to any party, upon any breach, default or noncompliance by another party under this Agreement shall impair any such right, power, or remedy, nor shall it be construed to be a waiver of any such breach, default or noncompliance, or any acquiescence therein, or of any similar breach, default or noncompliance thereafter occurring. It is further agreed that any waiver, permit, consent, or approval of any kind or character on any party’s part of any breach, default or noncompliance under the Agreement or any waiver on such party’s part of any provisions or conditions of this Agreement must be in writing and shall be effective only to the extent specifically set forth in such writing. All remedies, either under this Agreement, by law, or otherwise afforded to any party, shall be cumulative and not alternative.

 

13.


3.7 Notices. All notices required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed effectively given: (a) upon personal delivery to the party to be notified, (b) when sent by confirmed electronic mail or facsimile if sent during normal business hours of the recipient; if not, then on the next business day, (c) five (5) days after having been sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or (d) one (1) day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, specifying next day delivery, with written verification of receipt. All communications shall be sent to the party to be notified pursuant to the contact information provided in accordance with the terms of the Credit Agreement.

3.8 Attorneys’ Fees. In the event that any suit or action is instituted under or in relation to this Agreement, including without limitation to enforce any provision in this Agreement, the prevailing party in such dispute shall be entitled to recover from the losing party all fees, costs and expenses of enforcing any right of such prevailing party under or with respect to this Agreement, including without limitation, such reasonable fees and expenses of attorneys and accountants, which shall include, without limitation, all fees, costs and expenses of appeals.

3.9 Titles and Subtitles. The titles of the sections and subsections of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and are not to be considered in construing this Agreement.

3.10 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument, respectively. Delivery of an executed counterpart of this Agreement by facsimile or transmitted electronically in either a Tagged Image Format File (TIFF) or Portable Document Format (PDF) shall be equally effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of such document.

3.11 Aggregation of Stock. All shares of Registrable Securities held or acquired by affiliated entities or persons or persons or entities under common management or control shall be aggregated together for the purpose of determining the availability of any rights under this Agreement.

3.12 Pronouns. All pronouns contained herein, and any variations thereof, shall be deemed to refer to the masculine, feminine or neutral, singular or plural, as to the identity of the parties hereto may require.

3.13 Termination. This Agreement shall terminate and be of no further force or effect with respect to any Holder upon the date all Registrable Securities held by and issuable to such Holder (and its affiliates) may be sold pursuant to Rule 144 during any ninety (90) day period.

[THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

 

14.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT as of the date set forth in the first paragraph hereof.

 

COMPANY:     INVESTORS:
VERENIUM CORPORATION    

ATHYRIUM OPPORTUNITIES FUND (A) LP,

a Delaware limited partnership

By:  

/s/ Jeffrey G. Black

     
Name:  

Jeffrey G. Black

   

By: ATHYRIUM OPPORTUNITIES ASSOCIATES LP,

its General Partner

Title:  

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

   

By: ATHYRIUM OPPORTUNITIES ASSOCIATES GP LLC,

the General Partner of Athyrium Opportunities Associates LP

      By:  

/s/ J. Ferrell

      Name:  

J. Ferrell

      Title:  

President

     

ATHYRIUM OPPORTUNITIES FUND (B) LP,

a Delaware limited partnership

     

By: ATHYRIUM OPPORTUNITIES ASSOCIATES LP,

its General Partner

     

By: ATHYRIUM OPPORTUNITIES ASSOCIATES GP LLC,

the General Partner of Athyrium Opportunities Associates LP

      By:  

/s/ J. Ferrell

      Name:  

J. Ferrell

      Title:  

President